London, June 17: A new survey has revealed that nearly half of dads in America, who under 45, say they have at least one child out of wedlock.
A Pew Research Center report highlights the changing roles of parents as U.S. marriage rates and traditional family households fall to historic lows.
“When a father can’t provide monetarily for his offspring, he often becomes estranged,” the Daily Mail quoted Beth Latshaw, an assistant sociology professor at Appalachian State University, who researches changing paternal roles, as saying.
She pointed to an economic advantage for college graduates hired at companies with better benefits and family-friendly policies, contrasted with the situation for the larger ranks of low-wage workers.
“As a result, many women now raise children outside of marriage or without a father figure,” Latshaw said.
Pew’s survey and analysis of U.S. government data found that more than one in four fathers - 27 percent - with children 18 or younger live away from at least one of their children.
That number is more than double the share of fathers who lived apart from their children in 1960.
The Pew study, entitled ‘A Tale Of Two Fathers’, found sharp differences based on race and education.
Black and Hispanic fathers were much more likely to have children out of wedlock, at 72 percent and 59 percent, respectively, compared to 37 percent for white men.
About 46 percent of fathers ages 15 to 44 say they had at least one of their children born outside of marriage.
That figure tracks closely with U.S. government data showing the share of babies born to unwed mothers jumping eightfold, from five percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2008. Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com
